(ARA)- These days, when you go into a store to buy a new TV, the decisions you make have less to do with brand and more to do with type. While the old-style cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs that most people grew up with are still strong sellers, a new generation of television sets is gaining in popularity.
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 7.3 million thin and flat-screen television sets were sold last year, representing a 63 percent increase in unit sales over the 2003 numbers. Thanks in part to a drop in price, sales are expected to rise exponentially again this year.
If you're thinking about joining the ranks and buying one of these new high-tech TVs, there are two types to choose from: plasma displays (PDP) and liquid crystal displays (LCD). Both technologies offer incredibly clear and seamless pictures; the biggest difference is in the technology used to create the image on the screen.
Better picture quality isn't the only reason more and more people are buying flat screen televisions these days. Their shape and size is also a huge draw. They are available in screen sizes ranging from 11 inches all the way up to 84 inches across; and are exceptionally thin (less than six inches). As a result, they can be set up just about anywhere -- on stands, mounted in the corner of a room or even hung on a wall like a picture; but for most people, finding a way to mount the new large screen TVs has been a challenge, until now.
"When they first came out, flat panel TVs were big, but small enough that they could easily be mounted between two studs in a wall. Today's largest screens require a much more substantial mount and we've developed one," says Jim Wohlford, general manager of Sanus Systems, a Minnesota-based company that designs and builds furnishings, mounts and accessories for A/V set-ups.
Sanus Systems' new Vision Mount expandable wall mount with tilt motion has a plate that expands out to three studs as necessary to hold the largest models -- those with screens up to 84 inches and weighing up to 280 pounds. It also has telescoping arms that go up and down to support the greater heights of the largest plasma TVs. "This mount offers the feature of compactability too," says Wohlford. "It can be shrunk down to mount TVs as small as 26 inches. Its great range makes it a truly universal mount."
In addition to its high-tech wall mounts, Sanus Systems also offers home theater furniture and accessories, including speaker stands and mounts. For more information or to view an online catalog, log on to www.sanus.com.